Electrostatic-hydraulic coupled soft actuator for micropump application
Author | Ahmad Fuaad, Mariatul Rawdhah |
Author | Hasan, Mohammed Nazibul |
Author | Muthalif, Asan G A |
Author | Mohamed Ali, Mohamed Sultan |
Available date | 2024-05-14T03:51:39Z |
Publication Date | 2024 |
Publication Name | Smart Materials and Structures |
Resource | Scopus |
Identifier | http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1361-665X/ad1428 |
ISSN | 9641726 |
Abstract | The development of a soft actuator with high displacement is crucial for the effective operation of micropumps, ensuring a high fluid pump rate. This study introduces an innovative approach by presenting the design and fabrication of a novel electrostatic-hydraulic coupled soft actuator for a micropump within a microfluidic system. This pioneering soft actuator, leveraging electrostatic-hydraulic coupling, showcases a unique solution to enhance the performance of micropumps. The versatility of such a soft actuator makes it particularly promising for biomedical applications. The actuator comprises dielectric fluid in an elastomeric shell and electrodes to form the out-of-plane fluid-amplified displacement. This displacement amplification was used to generate a pumping actuation in the micropump. The actuator was characterized in terms of dielectric fluid volume, electrode size, temporal response, and amplification displacement. The soft actuator showed a maximum amplified displacement of 0.51 mm at 10 kV of the applied voltage, but a higher voltage caused a dielectric breakdown. Moreover, the actuator demonstrated the ability to operate at frequencies of 0.25 Hz and 0.1 Hz. The results of the study indicate that the fabricated electrostatic-hydraulic coupled soft actuator is a dependable and effective method of actuation for a micropump in a microfluidic system. The experimental characterization of the micropump revealed a maximum flow rate of 2304 μl min−1. |
Sponsor | This work was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia through Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (Grant No. FRGS/1/2023/TK07/UTM/02/11) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia through UTM Fundamental Research Grant (UTMFR Grant No. Q.J130000.3823.22H55). |
Language | en |
Publisher | Institute of Physics |
Subject | dielectric elastomer microfluidic system micropump soft actuator |
Type | Article |
Issue Number | 1 |
Volume Number | 33 |
Files in this item
Files | Size | Format | View |
---|---|---|---|
There are no files associated with this item. |
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
-
Electrical Engineering [2616 items ]
-
Mechanical & Industrial Engineering [1342 items ]